Literary notes about abruptly (AI summary)
Literary authors often employ "abruptly" to convey sudden shifts that disrupt the flow of conversation, movement, or thought. The word serves as a signal for an immediate change—a character might, for instance, turn toward another without warning [1] or a narrative detail might sharply transition from one setting to another [2]. Its placement accentuates moments of emotional intensity or unforeseen circumstance, as when a mood, action, or dialogue is halted or altered with little warning [3, 4]. In this way, "abruptly" effectively heightens dramatic tension and reinforces the swift, often unpredictable nature of human behavior and narrative developments.
- Sir. Sportsman, sir?’ abruptly turning to Mr. Winkle.
— from The Pickwick Papers by Charles Dickens - I followed a cattle path through the thick under-brush until I came to a slope that fell away abruptly to the water’s edge.
— from My Ántonia by Willa Cather - The despair of these two women who had been so abruptly struck to the heart burst forth in sobs.
— from The History of a Crime by Victor Hugo - 204 This Consolatory Letter ends rather abruptly.
— from Plutarch's Morals by Plutarch
